The present invention relates to mechanical manipulators for supporting and transporting loads of materials and parts. In particular, the present invention relates to safety systems for use with mechanical manipulators.
Mechanical manipulators are used in a variety of industrial environments for lifting and transporting heavy loads of materials and parts. For example, a load of parts may be secured to a mechanical manipulator, so that the mechanical manipulator can lift the load to an elevated position. The mechanical manipulator may then be moved to transport the supported load to another location for use. Mechanical manipulators have undergone substantial developments in the fields of robotics, which allow such manipulators to be controlled in manual and automated manners. Such developments have increased the efficiencies and lifting capabilities of mechanical manipulators, thereby improving the automation in industrial manufacturing processes.
Due to increased lifting demands, a common issue with mechanical manipulators involve structural failures, where one or more components of a mechanical manipulator break under high stress. Such breakages can cause the supported loads to drop from the elevated positions to the floor below. This can damage or destroy the loads and the impacted floor. As such, there is a need for a safety mechanism that reduces the risk of dropping supported loads when a component of a mechanical manipulator breaks or otherwise fails.